'Politicking at its worst' on energy bill

A veteran Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania exposes the sham energy bill being pushed by Democrats in Congress to fool voters long enough to get past the November elections.

From an op-ed published in The Mercury by U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts:

In an effort to quell the public's increasingly loud call for action on the issue, (Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats) have offered up a piece of legislation that represents election year politicking at its worst. This bill, which was railroaded through the House, allows for offshore drilling — something that has become increasingly popular in opinion polls with the high price of gas. But it would also make the exploration contingent on states' approval while barring states from sharing the revenue. This provision nearly ensures no oil exploration would happen.

In fact, this provision would keep more offshore exploration off limits than if Congress simply allowed the current ban to expire on Oct. 1.

Read the full column, "A 'no-energy' energy bill thanks to Democrat," at the newspaper's Web site.